Leading clinicians and researchers share their perspectives on the most significant developments presented at this year’s Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) 2026 meeting.
From progress in long-acting antiretroviral therapies and capsid inhibitor–based regimens to evolving prevention strategies and emerging approaches targeting the HIV reservoir, these expert insights highlight the innovations shaping the future of HIV care and research.
Eric Meissner
The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
“It was encouraging to see the many research groups and multiple companies continuing to explore and develop new daily and long-acting treatments for both HIV treatment and prevention, as well as updates on the multiple strategies and ongoing work targeting the HIV reservoir as part of HIV cure research.”
Read the full Q&A on the phase 3 ARTISTRY-2 findings here
Chloe Orkin
The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
“Exciting HIV treatment research data were presented involving a range of drugs from different classes, including third-generation long-acting integrase inhibitors and novel long-acting capsid inhibitors.
In HIV prevention research, very encouraging data were presented on the roll-out of cabotegravir for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), as well as updated results from the PURPOSE-1 and PURPOSE-2 studies evaluating lenacapavir as PrEP. Across these studies, only three additional HIV acquisitions were reported, with similar safety profiles and strong persistence.”
Read the full Q&A on phase 3 ARTISTRY-1 results
Kate Seib
Griffith University, Southport, Australia
“The most significant updates showed HIV care moving beyond daily pills, with strong Phase 3 data for new capsid-inhibitor–based regimens and progress toward weekly, monthly and even twice-yearly treatment and prevention options.
Speakers emphasised that these longer-acting therapies could expand choice, improve durability and offer greater flexibility for both people living with HIV and those using PrEP.”
Read the full Q&A on the GoGoVax findings
Julienne Lehmann
HIV Cure Research Centre, Ghent University, Belgium
“At CROI 2026, some of the most exciting therapeutic advances were in long-acting prevention and immune-based cure strategies. One major highlight was the continued development of lenacapavir-based prevention strategies. The possibility of once- or even twice-yearly PrEP dosing represents a potentially transformative shift in HIV prevention, with the promise of greatly improving adherence and global accessibility.
On the cure front, immune-modulating approaches gained significant attention. Strategies targeting PD-1 aim to reinvigorate exhausted HIV-specific T cells, while broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) are being explored for their ability to delay viral rebound and potentially support post-treatment control.”
Jürgen Rockstroh
Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Bonn, Germany
“Like it or not, we are all ageing, and one of the most powerful themes at CROI this year was how HIV research is rising to meet the needs that come with that reality.
We are seeing real progress in both treatment and prevention options, with regimens that are more effective, more tolerable, and better tailored to people’s diverse needs. This evolution reflects the power of science when it is relentlessly focused on people and on meaningful, measurable progress. Looking ahead to next year, I hope to see even more young clinical scientists stepping forward to drive the next wave of innovation.”
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Cite: Expert voices shaping HIV care: Highlights from CROI 2026. touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES. 16 March 2026
Editor: Katey Gabrysch, Editorial Director.
Disclosures: See individual articles for full disclosure information.
The content was developed and edited by human editors. No fees or funding were associated with its publication. touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES utilize AI as an editorial tool (ChatGPT (GPT-4o) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat).
This content has been developed independently by Touch Medical Media for touchINFECTIOUS DISEASES in collaboration with the authors. Views expressed are the speaker’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Touch Medical Media.
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